CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Monongalia County bars will be allowed to open on Tuesday after being closed for a month amid ongoing concerns with the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Jim Justice announced the decision during Friday’s coronavirus briefing. Bars have not had patrons since Sept. 2 after images emerged online of patrons in large groups not wearing masks. Justice ordered a closure during that day’s coronavirus briefing.
Justice said the West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration officials will enforce the rules. He added an immediate shutdown of a bar could happen if businesses do not follow policies.
“We don’t want to be threatening,” he said. “I just don’t want to do that, but it could come to doing away with their license.”
Justice said it is important for business owners to be proactive in order to prevent another closure from being enacted.
“If you’ll give it everything you’ve got and we give it everything we’ve got, we’ll succeed,” he said.
Bars were closed during the statewide stay-at-home order in March. Closures were extended as Monongalia County led the state in coronavirus cases. The state Department of Health and Human Resources on Friday reported Monongalia County placed in the lowest level of its coronavirus map.